Folding table



M y 1927- J, GILBEIRT' FOLDING TABLE- 2 sheath-sum 1 Filed Oct. 15. 1924 FOLDING TABLE Fild Oct. 15. 1924 2 Sheets-s 2 Jim gm Patented May 10, 1927.-

UNITED STATES m .1. mam,- or saenmw, micnmu.

PATENT OFFICE.

ronzome ream;

Application filed October 15, 1024, Serial 10. 743,050.

My invention, relates to folding tables, and is more articularly adapted tocollapsible ironing boards or tables of the type in which the board is provided with collapsible legs which fold against the board, so that the device occupies little space when not extended for'use, and in collapsed form is convenient for shipment or storage. The

' object of my invention is to provide a board legs folded; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the deviceset up in extended position for use; F ig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section,- partly in elevation, showing the arrangement'of a guide rod connection for the front end of the locking rod; Fig. 4 is, across 7 sectional detail of the locking catch, on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section of the central portion of a rear legrof the table.

he same reference characters indicate the same parts in all' the figures of the drawings.

The ironing board 1 of my novel ironingtable is in the present instance securedto the collapsible leg structure, which may con.-

veniently be constructed of metal tubing, by means of bearin members directly secured to the board. These members are preferably formed of malleable iron castings provided with integral ears and blocks extending at right angles toconstitute bearing lugs, as shown in the drawings. The front bearing member 2' is provided adjacent its 0p ends with the bearing lugs 33, and at its center is formed with a block 4;

' in which is rigidly secured the rear' end of a guide rod 5 which at its forward end is secured in a block 6 secured to the underside bf the ironin board. The rear bear-- angle-to eachother from a" central "hollow pivoting block 9, the ends of the branches fpivotal sup 8-8 being formed with the bearing lugs l0-10.- The centrally arranged front leg consists of two diagonalbranches 11--11, secured together at the bottom and havin their meeting ends equipped with a foot %lock 12, the upper or inner ends-of such branches being pivoted respectively on the bearing lugs of the front bearing member. The pair of-rear legs consists each of a straight'leg member 13 and a bracing member 14 riveted to such legmember at a point intermediate itsends by means of a rivet bolt 15 passin through the leg and bracing member an also through an interposed spacing block I i i 16. The" leg member and bracingvmember are alsdconnected by a second rivet bolt or pin 17, which serves as'a pivot for other members hereinafter described. In the present instance, I employ a wooden filler block 30 inside the leg member opposite the rivet bolts 15 and 17, to stiffen and strengthen the is at thatpoint. The inner endsof the rear leg members are pivoted to the bearing lugs 1010 at the ends of'the rear bearing member 7, andthe inner ends of the bracing members 14 are pivoted on opposite sides of the central bearin block 9 ofsuch bearing member adjacent 51 line of the board.

The rear legs are set at obtuse angles with respect to the two lines extending from their respective bearings in the lugs 1Q -10 to the corresponding bearings in the bearin block 9, so that the centers of rotation of t e feet lie outside the outermost-points of pivotal su port, the arrangement of the parts-with reliition to the board bein such that when the le s are in folded position they lie within and posite margins of the board, and spread outwardly and away from each other beyond the vertical planes of such mar ins when the legs are unfolded to extends thus affording a very ,broad footing and giving great stabilit to the table. This peculiar movement 0 the legs 1s due to the fact that the obliqlue mountin of the pivotal supports of rear egs on the oblique'angle which the legs make with their rts cause the feet to travel in e center approximately parallel with the opsition,

ard, and the its planes who I are equall .and oppositely ini y Jclined to the vertical ,p line of symmetry-of the table structure passing longitudinally through the centerline of the board and which intersect the line of the edge of the board at a point-such that the feet will fall within'the margin of the board when the legs are folded and project outwardly beyond the line of the table edge when they are extended.

The rear legs, it may here be noted, are formed with stop lugs 13-13* arranged to cooperate when the legs are extended with portions of the rear side of the rear bearing member adjacent the bearing lugs 10 on the opposite ends of such member.

The rear le s of the table are connected with the front eg by means of a pair of connecting rods 18-18 pivoted at their front ends to the front leg. between its branches and near its foot, and also pivoted respectively to the rear legs by means of the pivot bolts 17-17 before mentioned.

The connected front and rear legs are ,maintained in extended position by means of a pair of locking rods 19-19 which are pivoted at their rear ends on the pivot bolts 17-17 inside the connecting rods 18-18 before mentioned, spacing blocks 20-20 being interposed between the connecting rods and locking rods to properly separate them from each other. At their front ends the locking rods arepivotally connected to opposite hubs of a tubular sliding block 21 which is mounted to slide on a guide rod 5 before mentioned. This guide rod is equipped near its rear end with a 5 ringstressed reciprocating catch 22 having a= front cam face and a rear locking face and adapted-to automatically latch against the rear face of the block 21 when the block is shifted rearwardly to its extreme locked position.

As will be understood from the description above given of the construction and arrangement of the parts of the table, the legs may be extended from the collapsed position shown in Fig. 1 in which all of the parts lie in a single plane without overlapping, to the extended position illustrated in Fig. 2. The triangular relation of the connecting rods to the locking rods, and of the connecting rods and locking rods to each other, in

connection with the triangular form of the.

front leg and the trian larform of the upper or inner part of t e rear leg and its associated bracing member, pivoted in the rigidly connected bearing member, all produce when the leg structure is extended a series of trusses which most effectively and ri 'dly supportthe table, and revent the co la ible frame work from yielding either longitudinally, transversely, or obliquely.

It is obvious that the front bearing mem her 2 and rear bearing member 7 instead of bein separately directly secured to an ironing oard may constitute. art of an e ivalent-top frame member of any desire construction to which the ironing board or a table top of other form may be secured. Detachable.'and interchangeable top members may thus be provided for a single folding le unit.

claimz= I 1. A folding table comprising a board equi ped-with front and rear pivot bearing mem ers, the rear bearing members being arranged in spaced converging relation, a centrally arranged front leg structure pivoted in said front pivot bearing members, a pair of rear legs pivoted in said rear pivot bearing members and adapted to spread outwardly when unfolded, a pair of connecting rods pivoted to said front leg structure near its foot and also pivoted to said rear legs at points intermediate their ends, and a pair of locking truss rods pivoted at one end to said rear legs at said intermediate points, said'locking truss rods meeting at their other ends and being equipped with a common connecting memher, and astationary member carried by the table top, said stationary member being disposed adjacent thelongitudinal center line ofthe table top and adjacent the axis of the front leg bearing members and said connecting member being arranged to make interlocked engagement with said stationary member when the legs are in extended pos1 tion.

2. A folding table comprising a. board equipped with front and rear pivot bearing members, a front leg structure pivoted in said front pivot bearing members, a pair of rear legs pivoted in'said rear pivot hearing members, connecting rod means pivoted to said front le structure adjacent its foot and also'pivota ly connected with said rear legs at points intermediate their ends, a pair of locking truss rods pivoted at one end to said rear legs at points intermediate their ends, said locking truss rods meeting at their other ends and being equipped with a common slide, and a guide rod carried by the table top and engaged by said slide, said guide rod extending longitudinally of the table top and its rear end extending to a point adjacent theaxis of the front leg beararranged triangular front leg structure having inclined branches pivoted to an intermediate part of the'board at points on each side of its center line and-arranged to fold forwardly, connectingrods pivoted to said triangular front leg structure near its foot (pivoted adjacent the rear end of the and folding forwardly, a centrallyleft ing" branches respectively pivoted to said I rear legs and arranged to nest when folded between said connectin rods.

' 4. A collapsible iromngtable or the like comprisin a board having a pair of legs pivoted a jacent the rear end of the board and folding forwardly within the margin of the ironin board, a centrally-arranged forward] -fol in triangular front leg pivoted tot e boar at opposite points midway of its length and between the folded rear legs, connecting rods pivoted to said rear legs and the branches of said "front legon their inner sides and arranged to nest when folded within the rear legs and said branches of the front leg, locking rods ivote d to said rear legs adjacent and inside the pivotal connections of said connecting rods, and a'central longitudinal guide rod secured to the ironing board between said front legs, the front ends of said locking rods being arranged to slidingly engage said guide rod andnest whenfo ded withln sai'd connecting.

rods

5. An ironin I table'comprising a board having collapsi 1e supporting means including a pair of rear le hin adjacent the opposite rear sides 0 the ironing board, a spaced memfront leg structure includin bars hinged to the intermediate portion of the board near opposite edges thereof and arranged when extended to incline forwardly and downwardly, a pair of connecting rods pivotedat one end to said rear legs intermediately and also pivoted at the o posite end ,-to said front leg member near t e bottom thereof, a locking truss frame having side members pivoted at one end to said rear legs intermediately on the same axis as the connecting rods and arranged when extended toincline upwardly and forwardly to a point adjacent the top of said front le structure, and locking means adjacent suc point for stationarily lockingthe front end' of said lockin truss frame.

HENR J. GILBERT. 

